The last horcrux
by Fairy07
Summary: The Dark Lord has been defeated, but Dumbledore discovers there is still a piece of his soul hidden in a forest and he sends Harry and Severus to destroy it. The two wizards will obtain more than they imagined from their trip.
1. New mission

Hi everyone! Like I said in my other story, I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologise for any mistakes I could make.

I hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

"Potter!" What are you doing here?!" Snape tells me when I enter the Headmaster office.

"Professor Snape." I greet, nodding my head.

Since the war ended, I have tried to be respectful to him, but it hasn't worked. He's still spiteful, and he hates us, even though it was Hermione and I who saved his life when Voldemort's snake bit him.

"I'm here because Dumbledore summoned me. I suppose it's the same for you." I go towards the desk, pausing to caress Fawkes feathers, who makes some appreciative noises, and I sit in the other chair that's not occupied.

"Why would he summon us at the same time?" He asks, clearly annoyed, and I shrug.

"Hello my boys!" Dumbledore appears through a door. "How are you two?"

"Fine, sir. How are you?" I answer while Snape mutters 'Just dandy.'

"Oh, I'm fine, Harry, thank you!" Albus says. "Lemon drop?" He asks, popping one in his mouth.

"No, thank you."

"Albus, why don't you get to the point and tell us why you have summoned us, at the same time." Snape says irritated.

"Now, now Severus. Have a little patience." Dumbledore says calmly. "I have a mission for you two."

"WHAT?!" We say at the same time.

"Yes. Unfortunate, I know. I wanted to recruit more people to go with you two, but all of the people I have asked have refused, I'm afraid."

"And what makes you think that _we_ are going to accept?" Snape argues. I stay silent, resigned; if Dumbledore has put an idea in his head, no one will change his mind.

"Well, a parselmouth is needed to complete the mission, and Harry is the only one who can do it. And I need a Potion Master too."

"There are plenty of Potion Masters, Albus. Pick anyone, I'm not going." Snape gets up to leave.

"Severus." Albus says, more seriously. "Sit down. I can't trust anyone but you with this."

"So, you want us to go, the two of us alone, to a mission." I intervene.

"That's right. I wanted someone to accompany you, like I've said, but everyone were either 'too occupied' or directly 'don't want to spend more time that the necessary with _that_ _spiteful man'_." Albus says, not preoccupied. I snort, they are obviously talking about Snape. He glares at me.

"Are you ok with this, Potter?!" He asks furiously.

"Well, I'm sure the Headmaster has a good reason, that will explain to us if we let him." I answer shrugging.

"That right, my boy." Albus says smiling. He takes a breath. "There is another horcrux."

"No, that can't be true." I say, horrified. I thought all of this had finished.

"It's true, Harry, I'm sorry. I've been investigating, and I'm positive this is the last one. It's hidden in a lake, in Raven forest. The entrance to the forest only opens in parselmouth."

"Why do you need a Potion Master, then?" Snape asks.

"Right in the entrance, there is a potion. I haven't recognised, but it has your magical signature. I'm sure it's a potion Voldemort asked you to make. If Harry opens the entrance to the forest, but doesn't neutralise the potion, he will be dead in less than a second. You must go, discover which potion is, and pour the antidote." Snape puts his head in his hands, sighing.

"When do we leave?" I ask.

"As soon as possible, tomorrow morning if it's okay with you. It will take you about two days to go there and destroy the horcrux; and two days to come back; maybe not so much. I've planned everything." Albus says. "The first day you walk until you find a clear. You will see there an ancient tree with purple fruits that is protected. You will camp there, until the next morning. You can use magic until you reach the dead bushes and a sign that says 'Do not enter'. From then, you can't use your wands, or you will have a very painful experience. You will arrive to the forest in the evening. Take the horcrux, destroy it, and stay in the forest for the night. It should be safe since only a parselmouth can open it. The third day you go back to the tree. And from there, you return here on the fourth day. Can I trust you won't kill each other?"

"I'll try." I say, smirking.

"If I say no, can I stay here?" Snape says, and Albus laughs.

"Well Harry, you'll need something to destroy the horcrux, why don't you take Severus with you and you get ready for tomorrow morning? Here. It is a little map I have prepared for you. Oh, and the elves will prepare some food."

"Fine. Good night, sir." I say taking the map and heading to the door. I see Snape is not coming. "Are you coming, Professor?"

He gets up, muttering moodily about the old fools that always get what they want, and I suppress a laugh.

After five minutes of following me, muttering to himself, he talks again.

"Potter! Where are we going?"

"No need to shout, I'm right here. We need to go to the chamber of secrets, we need a basilisk fang."

We walk in silence until the entrance of the chamber, in Myrtle's bathroom. Luckily, she's not there.

_'__Open'_ I say in parselmouth, and I almost laugh again when I see Snape's face. "Accio Firebolt."

My broom comes flying to the bathroom, and I mount it.

"What are you doing, Potter?" He asks.

"There are two ways of going down. Either you jump, or you fly with me."

"Do you think I've lost my mind? I'm not doing either." He says crossing his arms.

"Fine, suit yourself. Wait here, then."

"POTTER! Don't test my patience!"

"I've told you, sir. There are two ways to go down. If you want to fly with me, that's fine. If you want to jump, you won't die, I did it in my second year, although you will land in a pile of bones. If you wait here, that's fine too."

"Well, I'll go in my own broom." He says smugly.

"No offence, sir, but I've seen you in a school broom, and you seem to be very unstable in them. Not to mention, you don't know the way. You would kill yourself."

"Why you little…!" Snape says with his fists tightened.

"Please. We must spend 4 days together. Can you try to trust me a little bit?" I ask. "I'm not making you do anything, I'm giving you options." Snape stops glaring furiously at me.

"If you drop me, Potter, you will be a very sorry boy." He says, mounting the broom.


	2. Acquaintances?

The night is long, and I don't sleep much. After going to the chamber and taking the fang with us, we left to our chambers to prepare our bags. I sent a letter to Ron and Hermione, who are in Australia looking for Hermione's parents, and I went to bed.

I get up at 4am; we decided to meet at 4.45am in the Great Hall, and I must go to pick up the food for the kitchens first. We have breakfast in silence and we leave the castle at 5am.

Although we can use magic, we must walk to the tree. It's better, Dumbledore said.

We stop to have lunch. Snape seems as moody as always.

"What do you prefer? Sandwiches or some pasta?" I ask.

"Whatever."

I pick the pasta, and I divide the food in two bowls. I heat both of them. "Aguamenti." I say, pouring water in two glasses.

"I could do that, Potter."

"I know. Professor, like I said yesterday, we are going to be together these days. I know you don't want us to be friends, but do you think we could be, I don't know, acquaintances?" I ask.

"I didn't know you knew that word, I thought it was too long for your vocabulary." He says sneering.

I sigh. These are going to be 4 long days. I start eating in silence.

"Fine." He says 5 minutes later.

"Fine?" I ask confused.

"Yes, we can be acquaintances, Potter, but only until this mission is finished." He says.

"Oh, okay." I say smiling a little. "Then you must call me Harry."

"Fine, _Harry_. Then you must call me _Professor_." I snort. How typical of him.

"I think we must walk about 6-7 hours more to reach the tree Dumbledore was saying." I say when we finish eating, looking at the map. "Shall we go?" He nods, and we resume the journey.

"Where are the other two parts of the Golden Trio?" He asks curiously.

"They went to Australia, to find Hermione's parents. She obliviated them to keep them safe during the war." I explain.

"I see."

This part of the trip is more entertaining. We talk about mundane things, and the time we are silent, it seems to be more a comfortable silence than a tense one like before. But with Snape, you never now when things are going to change.

"I'm telling you, Potter, that the pegs are not here! You didn't pack them." He shouts.

"And I'm telling you, _Snape_, that I packed everything for the tent in that bag!" I answer trying to set the tent.

"SHIT!" He shouts suddenly, taking his hand out of the bag. I turn to face him and he is bleeding.

"Well, you've found the pegs." I say smugly.

"Fuck you, Potter!" He says, and leaves fuming.

Almost an hour later, when I've finished setting the tent, our sleeping bags and the dinner, and he still hasn't come back, I go looking for him. I find him sitting near a little pond, looking at the water.

"Hey." I say, and he tenses, but doesn't answer. "Dinner is ready, and tomorrow we must get up early." He still doesn't answer.

"Look Snape, Professor Snape, we hated each other during the last 7 years." I say getting closer. "But now the war is over, and we agreed to be acquaintances. But we are going to fight. You are going to insult me. That doesn't mean we can't continue being acquaintances after that. Okay?" I say, looking at his face. "Come on, let's bandage your hand and let's eat dinner." I say, and I start going back to the tent. I smile, satisfied, when I hear he is coming behind.

After bandaging his right hand, the one that he hurt with the tent peg, we eat the sandwiches. He seems more subdued now, and I suppose it is because I was right about the tent. I take the portable chess, and we play a game which he obviously wins. After that, his mood seems to improve.

I fall asleep, hoping tomorrow will be a better day, and wishing I don't have any nightmares.


	3. Under the weather

I'm awake three hours later, but not because of my nightmares. 1am, my watch says. I stay still, trying to find out what has woken me up. I hear Snape, turning in his sleeping bag. A minute later I hear him again. And a minute later, the same.

"Can't sleep?" I ask, sleepily, turning to face him, and putting on my glasses. My eyes don't see a lot, it's pretty dark.

"No." He answers, his voice raspy. "Aren't you….?"

"Yes?"

"Never mind, Potter, go to sleep." He says, and turns to face the other side.

My eyes now have got used to the lack of light, and I can see something. I look at Snape's bag, and I realise he is trembling.

"Proud bat." I mutter under my breath. I take my wand and conjure a hot water bottle. He was trying to ask me if I weren't cold.

"Here." I say, putting the bottle inside his sleeping bag.

He pretends to be asleep. I don't blame him, I would have done the same thing if someone who 'hated me' (I don't really hate him, but he thinks so); gave me something to comfort me.

I stay awake until I'm sure his trembling has subsided, and he is asleep.

I groan when my alarm wakes me in the morning. 4.30 am. I hear Snape groaning too.

"Turn off that sound." Snape says grumpily. "And get up, the faster we leave, the faster we reach the forest."

We plan our day while we are having breakfast.

"So, if we leave at 5.30 am, we should arrive to the forest at around 5-6pm. Then 2 hours more and we arrive to the lake."

After walking 3 hours, Snape starts getting behind, until he stops suddenly.

"Something wrong?" I ask, and I turn to see a very pale Snape. I go towards him, and I notice he is panting too.

"Hey, come on, sit down." I help him to sit on a rock, kneeling beside him. We are past the sign Dumbledore said, so we can't do more magic. "Dizzy?" He nods. I push his head to his knees, and he complains. "Don't move, if you are dizzy this is the best position." I say making pressure in his nape to make him stay like this, while I pick some biscuits and the water bottle from the back with my right hand.

After some moments I remove my hand and he lifts his head a bit.

"Better?" I ask, handing him the bottle.

"Yes." He says, and gulps some water.

"Let's do a break." I say, sitting down in front of him, opening the biscuits. "Eat, you've probably had hypoglycaemia."

"Another long word, what have you done with Potter?" He asks without the usual venom in his voice, and I realise he's teasing me. I chuckle.

After 20 minutes Snape has recovered some colour in his face. "Ready to continue?" I ask, putting my hand in his knee, trying to give some comfort. He tenses for a moment.

"Yes." He says, looking like he wants to say something else, which he finally does. "Thank you, Harry."

"That's what _acquaintances_ are for." I say, gaining a low chuckle from Snape.

It take us more time than we planned to arrive to the forest, because we made a long stop for lunch and we are walking slowly. I shot some concerned looks to Snape, who seems to be getting more under the weather.

Finally, we arrive, and he discovers the potion in the entrance right away. Voldemort made him do it to protect something, he thought that it was for some property or something like that. If we were to enter without neutralizing the potion, we would have died, like Dumbledore said. He looks pensive for a moment, and then, looking guilty, he pour its antidote. I order the entrance to open for us, and we are inside.

We walk a bit more, like 15 minutes, and I stop, seeing that we can't continue like that. It's 9pm and Snape looks like he can't walk more. Not that he's said anything, but even though I'm going slowly, he's still falling behind. At this pace, we would have to walk 3 more hours to reach the lake.

"Let's camp here." I say.

"Albus said to camp near the lake, after we had destroyed the horcrux." He says. I look at him. He is pale, trembling and panting for breath.

"Well, I'm tired, and Dumbledore is not here. Let's stop for today, we'll do it tomorrow." I say, and thankfully, he agrees. I wish he would tell me what's wrong with him.

I pick some sandwiches for dinner. I hope some food and a night of rest will help him to continue the trip. After much effort, I talk him into eating one of the sandwiches. He protests, saying that there is not enough food for us (which is completely false, the elves have prepared food for at least a week). We don't play chess tonight, he goes to sleep right after finishing the sandwich.

"Has this happened before?" I ask, trying to know something else about what is happening to him.

"What do you mean?! I'm perfectly fine, Potter!" I'm not lucky. This man and his pride.

I go to my sleeping bag too, but I can't sleep. I have the feeling that something is very wrong with Snape.

30 minutes later, I see him trying to sit in his bag. He seems very disoriented, and his skin is greenish.

* * *

Thank you for reading the story! I'd love to read your thoughts about it in the reviews. I have more chapters of the story written, and I know what I want to happen; but if you have any suggestions, write them in the comments, and I see if I can fit them in the story.

Please review! :)


	4. Friends

Author note: Leah, thank you for your review. I'm glad you like the story.

* * *

Previously: I go to my sleeping bag too, but I can't sleep. I have the feeling that something is very wrong with Snape. 30 minutes later, I see him trying to sit in his bag. He seems very disoriented, and his skin is greenish.

* * *

I rush to his side. His hand flies to his mouth and not a second later he throws up all over himself and his sleeping bag. It's a wonder how a little sandwich has made him vomit so much. He continues gagging and I rub his back. I take a handkerchief that I had in my pyjamas' pocket and I give it to him when he stops retching.

"You are freezing!" I say when he takes the handkerchief touching my hand with his. I look at him and I can see how ashamed he is. "Come on, don't worry. Let's get you out of this," I say opening the zip of the sleeping bag.

He stays silent, trembling, but lets me help him to get up. "Are you finished?" I ask, and he nods, not looking at me.

We can't do magic, so I light the torch that we brought and I take out his dirty sleeping bag, leaving the tent a little bit open so some fresh air enters into it.

"Let me help you with your clothes." I say, helping him taking off his long sleeve t-shirt, that leaves him in his underwear t-shirt.

"AH!" He shouts in pain when I touch his right hand, and tries to hide it, but before he does, I can see blood through his bandage.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I ask, gripping his wrist and unwrapping the bandage. The sight is horrible. His hand has a sickening purple colour and there is pus and blood getting out the injury. Snape turns around and gags, but nothing comes out. I'm astonished when I hear an afraid whimper.

"Shh. Don't worry." I say trying to be calm. "Look at me." He does, looking at me with a mix of shame and apprehension. "You are sick, it's nothing to be embarrassed about." I rub his back again.

"Listen, I'm going to clean the wound as best as I can. Do you have another pyjama t-shirt?" He shakes his head. "Well, I have an extra one, it should fit you well. What potions do you have here? Do you have a pain reliever and a stomach soothing potion?"

"I have the pain reliever only." He says in a rough voice. Well, at least he's answering to my questions.

"Okay. Take that one, then. You have to tell me when you feel bad, okay? I'm here to help."

"I don't think acquaintances do that." He says.

"I'm your friend, then. At least until you're better. And as your friend I need to know." I say seriously. He nods slowly, as if he doesn't believe my words.

I clean the wound with some water and I put some disinfectant, obtaining some hisses from Snape. Then I cover it with another bandage.

When I was preparing my bag the night before parting, I decided to put an extra pyjamas t-shirt, just in case I had nightmares and I woke up sweating. Now I'm glad I did. I give my spare t-shirt to Snape, and I help him get into my sleeping bag. Is big enough for the two of us, and he needs a place to sleep. His protests are weak, given that he knows that, and he is so cold his teeth are clattering.

"I'm going out, I'm lighting a fire to make some tea, okay?" I say.

"Don't go." He begs.

"I'm coming back in five minutes." I think a hot tea will be the best for him right now. It will calm his stomach and warm him a bit.

I sit while I wait for the water to boil, thinking about Snape, when I see him, getting out of the tent with great difficulties. I sigh, I wanted him to wait inside.

He comes towards me clumsily and sits too close to me. I don't know what worries me more, that he is acting out of character or the infection of his hand.

"I've told you to wait inside. You are shaking." I say, and to my utter surprise he hides his face in his hands and starts crying.

"Hey, it's okay." I say putting my arm around his shoulders. "I just don't want you to get worse."

"I have never…" He says in a strangled voice, and I understand. He has never had someone to take care of him.

"Shh" I say hugging him. "You'll be better in the morning." I say hoping it's true.

I finish making the chamomile tea, and I take the shaking man back to the tent. Luckily the breeze has made the vomit smell go away, and now, with the tea, the tent smells well.

Ten minutes later we are both inside my sleeping bag. I see him, trying to get closer without being too obvious.

"You are too cold." I say.

"I'm feeling terrible." He answers. "I'm feeling as if someone had put a freezing charm on me. I feel like I'm in a freezing lake." He starts rambling. "Worse than when you were in your first year or in your second, or every year. Or maybe it's not worse. Well, definitely worse than last year I think." He babbles without sense.

"Come here." I say, opening my arms, and slowly, he does. I rub his back with my hands, trying to make him warm.

"Everything is spinning." He starts again. "You shouldn't have a disgusting faggot in your arms. You're much better than that. Much better than me, not that it is a lot to say that. Much better than everyone, really." He starts to tear up.

"You are not, don't say that."

"Yes, I am."

"You are gay, so what? You certainly aren't disgusting."

"I am." He says crying silently.

"Shh, professor, you are not, and that's final. Try to sleep."

"I don't want to be called that. I only want to be Severus. I only want a friend." He says getting more worked up.

"I'm your friend, Severus. I'm right here. Calm down or you are going to make yourself throw up the tea."

"You are only my friend because I'm dying." He says, and I hug him bringing him closer to me, so his head is resting in my chest.

"You are not dying, Severus, you just have a little infection that has gotten worse because we haven't cleaned your injury. And you have to terrorize many generations of students yet." I chuckle. "I'm your friend now, Severus. I will be your friend regardless of what you think of me. Okay?"

"You won't, you will leave me. Like everyone else."

"I'll make a vow. I, Harry Potter, will consider Severus Snape my friend, even when he doesn't want me to."

"That means I can call you Harry?" He asks tiredly but I think I can feel him smiling.

"Of course, and I'll call you Severus."

"So that means I can talk to you."

"Yeah, of course. Although it would be better if you do it tomorrow, or you are not getting any sleep tonight." I say hopefully. It's late and tomorrow we have another long day ahead of us. He stays in silence some minutes, but talks again sleepily.

"I think I'm falling in love." He says. I chuckle. Hypothermic Snape is fun. He won't be so funny when he gets better and he remembers the things he's saying. Or maybe he doesn't. "But I don't think he likes me."

"Really? Well, you have a lot of time now to find the perfect man."

"I know the perfect man. He won't love me back."

"Then he is an idiot."

"What about you? Have you found your princess?"

"That would be difficult, as I'm looking for a prince." I say.

"What?!"

"Yeah, I'm gay too."

"This must be my lucky day." He says smiling, and then suddenly he frowns. "Oh, I had forgotten there were more blokes in the world." He says, this time sadly. Dear Merlin, Snape is talking about me. "Anyone better than me. Malfoy, for example. He's a great guy, he's handsome, he's rich… You should date him."

"I think Draco is straight. Not to mention that he is not my type." I say chuckling. Snape is talking all he hasn't talked in his life.

"Would you date me? If I take a good polyjuice potion, of course. Would you?"

"Severus, you don't have to take any potion. If, when we are back at Hogwarts, and you are healthy again, you ask me, I will go on a date with you."

"You are coming on a date with _me_? Without polyjuice?" He says incredulously.

"Yes, you don't need it."

"With a glamour, then? Should I glamour my face?" He asks, not understanding.

"No Sev, I'll go with you, no glamours or polyjuice involved."

"Wow." He says. "Wow." He repeats.

I stay quiet, trying to see if he goes to sleep, but he doesn't.

"I could take you to many places. I will take all my galleons out of Gringotts. There aren't a lot of galleons, but there are some." He says and I scrunch my face. He wants to take out his life savings!

"Please, no. I have enough money to live during a thousand years."

"I'm not rich." He says dejectedly.

"Yeah, I know. I prefer it that way."

"Really?" He asks surprised. "But what if I don't have enough money to buy you something? Or what if I want to go to Paris with you and I can't pay for it?"

"Then I'll pay for it." I say yawning.

"Wow." He says. I look at him, he looks like a drugged potions master. "But I can pay for some things too!"

"That's fine, then." I chuckle again.

"What do you want?" He asks suddenly.

"Apart from sleeping?" I ask amused.

"Yes. I want to buy you something. Something you really want."

"You don't have to buy me anything." I say, and his body tenses.

"Oh."

"What about a snake? You don't have to buy it, but it would be a good present."

"Fine, I'll get you a snake." He says relaxing. "Can I get it now?"

"NO." I say when he starts incorporating. "Now we are sleeping. Or trying to, anyway. Aren't you tired?"

"I was. I was exhausted but then it's like you have given me all the energy. Like you are giving me all your power." He says. "And I don't want to sleep."

"Why?"

"Because I'll wake up, and I don't want this to be a dream." He whispers. "I want to be your friend."

"And you'll still be my friend tomorrow. But we have to sleep now. It's 2 am."

"And when we go back?"

"Hmm?"

"When we go back to the castle, you'll be my boyfriend?"

"Yeah, if you ask me, I will." I say. He will be so embarrassed if he remembers this. I can't help but be excited anyways… What if he does ask me?

Five minutes later, I'm almost asleep when I hear him whispering.

"Oh my God. Harry Potter is going to be my boyfriend."

* * *

I'll try to update regularly, but I'm studying medicine and right now I have practices in the hospital, so I'm pretty busy.

Again, I'd love to read your reviews.

Thank you for reading!


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